Lemond Takes A Tumble But Keeps Lead In Tour

July 25, 1986|By Victoria Malmer

Greg Lemond nearly assured himself victory in the Tour de France on Thursday with a performance that earned the admiration of one of cycling's greatest riders, stage winner Bernard Hinault. ''The best man won today,'' said Hinault, a five-time winner of the Tour. Hinault meant Lemond had locked up first place overall. ''I'm quite happy to finish my last Tour as runner-up to Greg.'' Barring any unforseen accidents, Lemond will receive the winner's laurels from Prime Minister Jacques Chirac in Paris on Sunday, the first time an American, or any English-speaking rider, has accomplished the feat. Lemond picked himself up and changed bikes after a fall after 23 1/2 miles of a 36- mile individual time-trial in St. Etienne, France, to finish only 25 seconds back. Lemond leads Hinault by 2 minutes and 43 seconds overall. Lemond, 26, who finished third in 1984 and second to Hinault last year, lost about 15 seconds in the fall.